Five takeaways from IU basketball’s loss to Nebraska

Tucker DeVries handles the ball.

IU basketball fell for the first time at home this season, falling 83-77 to Nebraska on Saturday afternoon. The loss dropped the Hoosiers to 12-4 overall and 3-2 in the Big Ten.

Here are five takeaways from the loss to the Huskers:

Indiana’s defense fell apart in the second half

After a first half in which it limited Nebraska to 30 points on 40 percent shooting from the field, Indiana couldn’t stop the Cornhuskers in the final 20 minutes.

Nebraska exploded for 53 points in the second half, including an 8-for-16 mark on 3-pointers and an 11-for-14 mark from the free-throw line.

“I think the number one thing was just the paint touches they got,” Darian DeVries said postgame. And then there were some high-ball screens and things that we messed up some switches on, which we did a good job of for a good part of the game.

“We didn’t communicate that well enough, and they were able to get to the rim and got a few free throws there early to start and got some of those paint touches.”

Nebraska scored 1.56 points per possession in the second half, easily the worst defensive half of the basketball for the Hoosiers.

Beating a top-10 opponent requires a full 40-minute effort and Indiana only played well for 25 to 27 minutes on Saturday afternoon.

Turnovers prove costly

While Indiana’s 14 turnovers only turned into 11 points for Nebraska, the Hoosiers aren’t built offensively to survive that many mistakes.

Indiana doesn’t emphasize crashing the glass and every lost possession is a missed opportunity for a 3-pointer or a trip to the free-throw line.

The 14 turnovers on Saturday led to a turnover percentage of 20.9, the third-highest mark in a game this season for Indiana.

And against a Nebraska squad that only turned it over eight times and clearly wasn’t going to beat itself, the mistakes were costly, particularly during a second-half run in which the Huskers took control of the game.

“We told the guys at halftime – I think we had six turnovers – and I felt like a lot of those were just self-inflicted,” DeVries said. “It wasn’t even them being aggressive and coming, raking the ball out or something. They were just those type of turnovers you hate as a coach.

“I told them if we turn it over five or less times in the second half, we’re going to win the game. We just didn’t do it. I thought, again, that just won the game.”

Lamar Wilkerson again carries a heavy offensive load

It was another standout effort for Indiana senior guard Lamar Wilkerson on Saturday afternoon.

Wilkerson scored 21 or more points for the fifth straight game.

The transfer from Sam Houston finished with 32 points on 9-for-20 shooting, including a 5-for-11 mark on 3-pointers.

He also played 39 minutes, the third straight contest where he’s logged 38 or more minutes.

The minutes showed in the second half as Wilkerson appeared to tire down the stretch. He was just 4-for-13 from the field over the final 20 minutes.

In Big Ten play, Wilkerson is shooting 23-for-49 on 3s (46.9 percent).

Tucker DeVries finds his perimeter touch, but fouls limit his impact

Senior forward Tucker DeVries broke out of his shooting slump in Saturday’s loss, finishing with 17 points.

It was just the second time DeVries has scored in double figures in six Big Ten games.

He shot 3-for-8 on 3s and gave the Hoosiers a second legitimate scoring threat alongside Wilkerson, who has been the one consistent producer in recent weeks.

But the momentum of the game flipped in the second half when DeVries picked up a pair of fouls – No. 3 and No. 4 of the game for him. DeVries went to the bench with IU leading by 10 and 12:54 to play.

By the time he returned with 5:49 left, Indiana trailed by two.

A significant opportunity was missed for IU’s NCAA tournament chances

Indiana’s metrics remain strong through 16 games, just past the halfway point of the 31-game regular season.

But those metrics will only take this group so far. At some point, the Hoosiers need wins that will stick on the resume.

Saturday was an opportunity missed.

Up 16 points in the second half at home is an opportunity the Hoosiers needed to cash in for a win.

“It’s disappointing, for sure,” DeVries said. “We played well for a good 25, 27, 28 minutes, whatever, and then just had a bad stretch in there, and the game flipped.”

(Photo credit: IU Athletics)

See More: Five Takeaways, Lamar Wilkerson, Nebraska Cornhuskers, Tucker DeVries